On the one-year anniversary of the start of its pay dispute with the Tory-controlled Southampton City Council, UNISON has vowed to continue industrial action until the council “sees sense”.
This week UNISON and Unite workplace representatives unanimously agreed that there was “no option” but to continue action over the imposition of pay cuts.
UNISON branch secretary Mike Tucker commented: “Whether introduced by Conservative or Labour councils, UNISON members will not accept pay cuts. And council workers in Southampton have suffered savage cuts.
“UNISON members will continue to take action until nationally agreed pay levels are restored.”
Last year the Southampton workers were controversially fired and rehired on lesser pay. Since then they have taken part in a series of strikes, while unions attempted to win a better deal from the authority.
To date the unions have rejected two revised proposals by the council, the first to return £1m into the wage bill of the £6m of wages and allowances it had cut, the second, in November, to return £1.17m into pay packets, alongside one-off back payments totaling £300,000.
At this week’s meeting the unions specifically agreed that:
- the action short of strike should continue;
- a joint lobby should be held of the council meeting on 15 February. The theme of the lobby would be, “One year on, council workers still say no to pay cuts”;
- a demonstration and industrial action will be held on 10 April, to coincide with the opening of the Sea City Museum – linking the £5m the Tories have borrowed to build it, with the millions being taken out of council workers’ pay.
The unions will consult with members on the form the industrial action will take. It is proposed that all members directly employed by the council will be called on to take industrial action on 10 April.